Pride in Trafford Festival returns for a fabulous fifth year

Pride in Trafford returns with its fifth edition this May, bringing with it four days of inclusive festivities and a celebration of LGBTQ+ arts.

Running from Wed 17 May – Sat 20 May, Pride in Trafford brings together an exciting and diverse range of established and up-and-coming performers ranging from comedy and cabaret to theatre and movement.

Kicking off this year’s festival on Wednesday is the annual flag-raising event which is held outside Waterside on the plaza, marking The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. Along with the flag-raising there will be speeches and song, and the Leader and Chief Executive of Trafford Council will officially declare the festival’s opening.

Launching on the festival’s opening night and running across all four nights, is the world premiere of BI-TOPIA, a one-person show that offers a ‘hilarious, honest and raw’ exploration of the authentic Bisexual experience. Directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair and created and performed by Sam Danson, the production depicts a world in war-time ruins through a semi-autobiographical show that challenges societal norms, shedding light on the bisexual experience and revealing real struggles with mental health and the therapy process.

Accompanying the performances is an interactive visual installation, also created by Sam Danson, depicting the same world in ruins and asking the viewer to rebuild this ‘warzone’ by contributing their experiences and vision for what the perfect inclusive world looks like.

Also on opening night, on Wed 17 May is The Chosen Haram, a movement-based show from Turtle Key Arts and Sadiq Ali which presents a unique take on circus. Performed almost entirely on two Chinese poles, this candid, high-octane show blends dance, movement and incredible physical strength to tell the story of two gay men, their chance meeting, the highs and lows of their relationship and the social, cultural and personal barriers they must overcome.

Thu 18 May sees the return of Laugh Riot, an evening of side-splitting alternative comedy that boasts the likes of Stephen Bailey, Rosie Wilby, Marie Goulbourne and Jonathan Mayor.

On Fri 19 May, Lawrence Batley Theatre and Ketchup Productions bring their dark comic production of Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me to Waterside for one night only. Described as a ‘twisted coming-of-age story’, the show is the brainchild of award-winning playwright Philip Stokes.

Aside from the brilliant performances, Pride in Trafford is committed to offering a much-needed outlet for younger members of the LGBTQ+ community, and has once again joined forces with local groups Gorse Hill Studios and Rainbow Reflections to create a fun, free Pride evening for young people in the area.

In response to the alarming rise in hate crime and as the discourse around trans rights threatens equal rights across the world, Pride in Trafford will work with community artists and LGBTQ+ young people to document the issues most important to them around sexuality, gender expression and identity to create an outdoor installation entitled EMERGENCy.

Pride on the Plaza invites families to come together on Sat 20 May between 12pm-4pm for a free outdoor celebration on Waterside Plaza. The afternoon will feature two free outdoor performances from the wonderful Elini Edipidi’s Levantes Dance Theatre; Canape Art Twins will dance and perform above a table of afternoon treats in High Tea (with a twist) there’ll be hands-on creative activities and interactive storytelling with the Curious Arts team in Mini Pride, as well as a free mobile disco with oversized disco ball moving around Sale’s Stanley Square and the Plaza.

Rounding off the four-day extravaganza is the closing party at Mano a Bocca, complete with pizza, comedy, cabaret and disco, hosted by the infamous Belinda Scandal.

For more information and tickets, head to the Pride in Trafford website.